Greg Suarez interviews director William Friedkin

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Greg Suarez interviews director
William Friedkin


Director William Friedkin does something in his films that very, very few other filmmakers have the acumen and creativity to achieve - he makes you think. Friedkin tries very hard not to interject his own judgements into the plots of his films. Rather, he structures his work so that the audience can't help but to be drawn in by the drama unfolding before their eyes. Then, they're allowed to intelligently sort out the facts for themselves, and make their own judgement call. In Friedkin's 1985 thriller, To Live and Die in L.A., is Detective Chance (William L. Petersen) a dedicated cop doing whatever it takes to get the job done, or simply a dangerous rogue? In this year's Rules of Engagement, was Colonel Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) justified in slaughtering 83 Yemeni civilians? And then there's 1973's The Exorcist. Did the power of Good win the day, or was Evil the true victor? These questions, and many others, beg to be answered when you experience the intelligence of a William Friedkin work. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing this creative filmmaker, who won the 1971 Best Director Oscar for The French Connection. So join us as we discuss his films, his new The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen and his enthusiastic opinions about DVD. Just wait till you hear which DVD he's working on now... Greg Suarez (The Digital Bits): I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us today. I'm a big fan of your films, so this is an honor for me. William Friedkin: It's a pleasure. Thank you. Greg Suarez: One reason I've always enjoyed your work, is that you entice the audience to think, and you try to get them to make their own judgement about the story. Does this style of filmmaking seem rare to you in Hollywood these days? William Friedkin: It is now, but it wasn't when I started back out in the late '60s and early '70s. Now, you have a different kind of audience and different kinds of filmmakers, that basically have the same references. And those references are now largely things like MTV. The references of the audience and the filmmakers and the critics, when I started, were World Cinema and literature. But that's gone, you know? That's all gone. Greg Suarez: Do you feel that it's the audience, or is it more the studios forcing you into these positions of making your films' outcomes more black and white? William Friedkin: The studios only want to put out there what their polls tell them people want to see. Greg Suarez: That's unfortunate. William Friedkin: Well, they're making this stuff for an audience, you know? They're not making it to hang in the Louvre.
Greg Suarez: What inspired you to revisit The Exorcist, and produce The Version You've Never Seen? William Friedkin: Well, [Exorcist author/screenwriter William Peter] Blatty has been after me for years to put back the 11 minutes that I cut after he first saw it. I cut it back then because I wanted the film to move faster. And for 25 years I resisted it. Then finally - we're friends, and we talk all the time and see each other - I finally agreed to look at it with him in a cutting room. And I looked at it and I said, "Yeah... I think this is all fine, and lets' try it." The old regime at Warner's wouldn't even talk about it, but now, when these new guys took over, they were excited about it. So they put it out there. Greg Suarez: That's interesting... William Friedkin: Well, I mean, reissues generally don't do business.
Greg Suarez:Despite being attacked over the years by religious conservatives like Billy Graham, and even film critics, for the effectively terrifying imagery you put in the original Exorcist, you seem to have added even more into The Version You've Never Seen. Was that a thumb in the eye? What were your motivations behind that? William Friedkin: I never paid any attention to Billy Graham's critique - I thought he was full of shit. He's probably a very nice man, and I think he's tried to do good on this Earth, for which I admire him. I don't particularly follow his line, but whatever he said never affected me one way or the other. And largely, the critics and the reviews of The Exorcist were, for the most part, extremely positive - four star, and this and that. Don't forget - the film had ten Academy Award nominations. So it was never like I had to thumb the critics. Greg Suarez: Let's talk about DVD a little bit, and your stance on the format. Considering the 25th Anniversary disc, the new Version You've Never Seen release and also the Rules of Engagement DVD you participated in, you seem to like being actively involved in the DVD editions of your films. How important is it for you to remain active in producing this kind of material for the future DVD editions of your films? William Friedkin: I love the medium! I think it's, right now, the best form of delivery there is. The prints are pristine and beautiful and will stay that way forever, whereas something on celluloid is gonna fade, get ripped, get torn, get dirty. I spent weeks making the perfect print of this [the new Exorcist], and it's mass-produced perfectly with no dirt, no scratches and beautiful sound. This is the medium of record now. All the celluloid product will sooner or later, as always, just fade away and crumble. I believe that DVD, and the technologies that will eventually follow it, are much superior. So yes, I consider that a very important part of the work I do in directing films - making sure that they're seen in their best form. As a matter of fact, on Friday, I'll be finishing the DVD of The French Connection... Greg Suarez: That's wonderful! William Friedkin: It will be out in March and, I have to tell you, it is just beautiful. I've never seen the picture look that good. I don't ever remember it looking as good as it does now. So, that's been a great experience. I'm also going to do a stereo version of the audio, because the original was monaural. Greg Suarez: Do you feel it's important to be involved in the supplemental material as well - commentary tracks and such? William Friedkin: Totally! Because you're going to have millions of people looking at this stuff. You want them to see it in the best way. Greg Suarez: What supplemental materials do you like to see on the DVDs you add to your own collection? William Friedkin: Personally, I'm not always interested in all the extras. I'd rather just look at the film, and hopefully it will be in its most pristine form. You know, sonically cleaned and with a good track. I'm not always interested in the outtakes. I never listen to the narration. For example, I have Taxi Driver [on laserdisc], which is a film I love, and by accident I clicked over and heard Scorsese droning on about something on the commentary. I just clicked right back to the picture. Greg Suarez: On the Rules of Engagement DVD commentary, you mention that the track was meant more for film students than anyone else. Do you feel that it's mostly people that are interested in film on an intellectual level who will appreciate commentary tracks, or do you see them as a way to educate the mass public about your vision as a filmmaker? William Friedkin: I honestly don't believe the mass public gives a damn, except possibly in the case of rare classical films. I mean, who gives a shit about a narration track from the makers of Erin Brockovich? Who cares? There's the movie and it's enjoyable and that's it. I don't care about the stories, or the tidbits, or the rumors, or the outtakes. I would if it was The Magnificent Ambersons, with a track by Orson Welles, but those are the exceptions. Greg Suarez: Conversely, as a filmmaker, do you see any downsides to the DVD format?
	William Friedkin: None whatsoever. Greg Suarez: Really? William Friedkin: Well look, people are going to be looking at it on a smaller screen, obviously. That's the only downside. That's the bad news. The good news is they're looking at the best imaginable print and soundtrack, without a theater owner cutting down the brightness to save electricity, or the projectionist turning the sound down because it's too loud for some people. You can control how you want to see it and hear it. And you're looking at the best version that the filmmaker could make. So, I see no downside, other than right now it's on a smaller screen.
Greg Suarez: You mentioned The French Connection before. Can you elaborate at all about what we can expect from that disc? William Friedkin: It's just beautiful. There'll be about seven or eight scenes that are outtakes, and a commentary track that I'm doing on Friday. And then that'll be out in March. Plus, you know, poster art and all the other usual suspect things that they throw in. Greg Suarez: Have you been in contact with any other studios about releasing your other, previous films? To Live and Die in L.A., maybe? William Friedkin: I'm going to try to get To Live and Die in L.A. out soon, as well as The Boys in the Band. And I expect those two things to come out shortly. Greg Suarez: That's good news. I assume then that we can expect commentary tracks and all that other good stuff? William Friedkin: Yeah. Whenever they ask me to do it, I do it, because they feel it's an important feature. So, when they ask me to, I will. But the first of them will be The French Connection in March. Greg Suarez: Well... thank you again for your time and for your support of the DVD format. I know our readers really appreciate it. William Friedkin: It's a pleasure, Greg. Thank you very much. ---end--- The staff at The Digital Bits would like to thank William Friedkin for speaking with us. Thanks also to Warner Home Video and Karen Penhale. And be sure to read our reviews of all three versions of The Exorcist on DVD, including the new Version You've Never Seen. Hope you enjoyed the interview! Greg Suarez gregsuarez@thedigitalbits.com